Yakhont/Oniks missile
A P-800 missile at Armia 2018
Type	Cruise missile Air-launched cruise missile Submarine-launched cruise missile Anti-ship missile Surface-to-surface missile Land-attack missile
Place of origin	Soviet Union / Russia
Service history
In service	2002–present[1]
Used by	See Operators
Wars	Syrian Civil War 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine[2]
Production history
Manufacturer	NPO Mashinostroyeniya
Unit cost	$1.25 million[3]
Produced	1987–present
Specifications
Mass	3,000 kg (6,614 lb)
Length	8.9 m (29.2 ft)
Diameter	0.7 m (2.3 ft)
Wingspan	1.7 m (5.6 ft)
Warhead	national ver. 300 kg semi-armour piercing HE, thermonuclear; for export 200 kg semi-armour piercing HE[4]
Detonation mechanism	delay fuze
Engine	Ramjet 4 tons of thrust
Propellant	jet fuel
Operational range	600 km (370 mi; 320 nmi) (Oniks version for Russia) 800 km (500 mi; 430 nmi) (Oniks-M version for Russia) 120 to 300 km (75 to 186 mi; 65 to 162 nmi) depending on altitude (Yakhont export version)
Flight ceiling	14,000 m (46000 ft)
Flight altitude	10 meters (32 ft) or higher
Maximum speed	Mach 2.6 ( 3180 km/h / 1998 mph / 884 m/s )
Guidance system	midcourse inertial guidance, active radar homing-passive radar seeker head
Accuracy	1.5 m[5]
Launch platform	coastal installations, naval ships, Fixed-wing aircraft

The P-800 Oniks (Russian: П-800 Оникс; English: Onyx), also known in export markets as Yakhont (Russian: Яхонт; English: ruby), is a Soviet / Russian supersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya as a ramjet version of P-80 Zubr. Its GRAU designation is 3M55, the air launched Kh-61 variant also exists. The missile has the NATO codename SS-N-26 "Strobile". Development commenced in 1983,^[6] and in the 1990s the anti-ship missile was tested on the Project 1234.7 ship. In 2002 the missile passed the whole range of trials and was commissioned.^[7] It is reportedly a replacement for the P-270 Moskit, and possibly also of the P-700 Granit.

Description

The missile is carried in flight by aerodynamic lift. A solid-propellant booster is located in the ramjet's combustion chamber and is ejected by the airflow after it has burned out.

Advantages

• Over-the-horizon firing range
• Full autonomy of combat use ("fire and forget")
• A set of flexible ("low-profile sea-skimming", "high-low") trajectories
• High supersonic speed in all phases of flight
• Full harmonization for a wide range of platforms (surface ships, submarines and land-based launchers)
• Possible use of the missile in electronic countermeasures environment and under enemy fire

Operational history

Syria

In 2010 Sergei Prikhodko, senior adviser to the Russian President, has said that Russia intends to deliver P-800 to Syria based on the contracts signed in 2007.^[8][9] Syria received two Bastion missile systems with 36 missiles each (72 in total).^[10] The missiles' test was broadcast by Syrian state TV.^[11]

In May 2013, Russia continued the contract delivery to the Syrian government supplying missiles with an advanced radar to make them more effective to counter any future foreign military invasion.^[12][13] A warehouse containing the Bastion missiles was destroyed by an Israeli air strike on Latakia on 5 July 2013, but US intelligence analysts believe that some missiles had been removed before the attack.^[14]

Oniks missiles were reportedly used in 2016 against ISIL targets.^[15][16][17]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

In May 2022, Russia’s Defense Minister announced that Russia used high precision Oniks missiles during Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. According to the Russian ministry of defence on 1 May Oniks missiles were used to destroy military equipment near the city of Odesa.^[18] On 19th July 2023, Oniks missiles were used to target Ukraine's grain storage facility in the Black Sea region. There are other reported use of Oniks missiles in Donbas during the same conflict.^{[citation needed]}

Specifications

• Length: 8.9 m
• Diameter: 0.7 m
• Wingspan: 1.7 m
• Weight: 3,100 kg
• Speed at altitude: 750 m/s (Mach 2.6)
• Surface speed: Mach 2
• Engine: ramjet, weight 200 kg, 4 tons of thrust
• Range: 120–300 km / 600 km for Russian ship/sub deployed non-export model^[19]
• for the combined trajectory (hi-lo) – 300 km
• for low-altitude trajectory (lo-lo) – 120 km
• Flight altitude of 10,000–14,000 m
• Warhead: national version: 300 kg semi-armour piercing HE, thermonuclear; export version: 200 kg HE
• Fuel: jet fuel T-6

Radar homing head

• all-weather monopulse active-passive, with frequency hopping
• Immunity: high, from active spoofing, dipole clouds
• Range: 50 km active^[20]
• Launchable sea state – up to 7 points
• Warm-up time from power on: no more than 2 min
• Current consumption at 27 V circuit: up to 38 A
• Maximum angle of the target search: ± 45 °
• Homing weight: 85 kg

Variants

• 3M55 Oniks – Base version for Russia.
• P-800 Yakhont – Export version of Oniks.
• P-800 Bolid - Submarine-launched version of Yakhont.^[21]
• BrahMos – Co-developed with India, through BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, since 1998.^[22][23]
• Bastion-P – Coast mobile missile system. Officially it entered service in 2015.^[24]
• Kh-61 - Air launched air to surface version.
• Oniks-M - version of Oniks with improved range (up to 800 km), accuracy and ECCM capabilities.^[25]

Platforms

Naval

Current

• Buyan-M-class corvette
• Karakurt-class corvette
• Steregushchiy-class corvette (export version)
• Gremyashchiy-class corvette
• Yasen-class submarine
• Ahmad Yani-class frigate
• Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate

Future

• Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier
• Kirov-class battlecruiser
• Lider-class destroyer
• Oscar-class submarine

Land

Standard batteries of the K-300 Bastion-P (Бастион-П-Подвижный):

• 4 self-propelled launchers K-340P with 2 "Yakhont" missiles (crew of 3 persons)
• 1–2 Command and Control vehicles (ASBU) PBRK (crew of 5 persons)
• 1 security alert car (MOBD)
• 4 Transportation and loading vehicles (TLV K342P)

Operators

• Hezbollah – 12 missiles^[26] with diverse launching platforms.^[27]
•  Indonesia – 4 VLS (vertical launching system) mounted on Ahmad Yani-class frigate KRI Oswald Siahaan (354).^[28]
•  Russia – 3 "Bastion-P" complexes delivered in 2010, all the complexes taken into service with the Russian Black Sea Fleet's 11th Independent Coastal Missile-Artillery Brigade stationed near Anapa^[29] and the Project 1234.7 Nakat, a one-off Nanuchka IV-class corvette commissioned in 1987 with 2x6 Oniks.^[30] The "Bastion-P" is deployed by Russian forces in Crimea.^[31] One more Bastion-P was delivered in 2015.^[32] 2 Bastion systems are in service with the Northern Fleet and at least one with Western Military District (Baltic Fleet).^[33] Newest class of Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines, Yasen-class submarine, can also launch the missile.^[34] Submarine-launched variant entered service in 2016.^[35] Two Bastion missile systems delivered in 2017 and one more in 2018.^[36][37] Totally 4 Bal and Bastion systems in 2018.^[38] One more system delivered for the Pacific Fleet in early 2019.^[39][40] Totally 3 Bastion systems and 55 Oniks were delivered in 2019.^[41][42] The Russian Defense Ministry concluded a contract at the Army-2020 forum for purchasing cruise missiles 3M55N Oniks.^[43] 3 more delivered during 2021.^[44][45]
•  Syria – 4 "Bastion-P" complexes delivered in 2011, 72 missiles.^[46][47]
•  Vietnam – at least 2 "Bastion-P" land-based coastal defense systems delivered with at least 40 missiles.^[48][49]